BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental (PNA) — The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) in Negros Occidental is looking for 3,000 volunteers for the mid-term elections in May, 2013.The PPCRV has been preparing since August this year for next year’s elections, according to PPCRV Negros lay diocesan coordinator, Dorie Cabilso. The organization needs volunteers for poll watchers those who will assist voters on election day, especially senior citizens, disabled persons, pregnant women and other members of vulnerable sectors. Inquiries may be made from at the PPCRV desk, Social Action Center Office, Bishop’s House, Bacolod City.
SATELLITE OFFICES
ILOILO CITY, Iloilo (PNA) — The Overseas Workers Welfare Ad ministration in Western Visayas (OWWA 6) has the commitment of five local government units (LGUs) - San Jose in Antique; Jordan in Guimaras; San Carlos City in Negros Occidental; Passi City in Iloilo and Roxas City, Capiz that they will host additional satellite OWWA offices in their locality. Satellite offices are already operational in Guimbal, Iloilo and Bacolod City. Such offices will make it easier for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families to go to OWWA for concerns needing the agency’s intervention. Western Visayas is one of the highest exporter of OFWs. Currently it has 173, 000 active members who work either as land-based or sea-faring workers.
OVERNIGHT FREEDOM
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PNA) — Two detainees of the city police lock-up jail here – Mark Gervin Culajara, 22, single and jobless; and Ariel Daclison, 21, also single and a Tacloban native - managed to sneak out after destroying their cells’ metal grills. Culajara, charged with illegal possession of prohibited drugs and firearms and Daclison, who faces theft charges sought refuge overnight at Culajara’s residence in Hontanosas St. Happy Valley, Mansasa District a kilometer and a half from the police station. City police tracked the two escapees down, and nabbed and brought them back to jail.
SUBSTANTIAL GAINS
HINABANGAN, Samar — Col. Romeo Labador, commanding officer of the Philippine Army’s 801st brigade 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, based in barangay Fatima, this town, said the peace and order situation in the province has greatly improved and “it is now more or less stable. He said Eastern Samar, a hotbed of insurgency in Eastern Visayas “is now considerably peaceful and the frequent rebel-military encounters are now the thing of the past.” He said of 22 towns and one city in the province, seven towns and Borongan, the capital city, have been declared by the military and local government units as “development-ready.” (Restituto A. Cayubit)
POPULATION GROWTH
DUMAGUETE CITY Negros Oriental (PNA) — Kaakbay chair, former national treasurer and Social Watch Philippines member Prof. Leonor Briones expressed her support for the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill and said it was imperative to check the population growth of the country as the current 96 million population is “more than the country could accommodate economically and socially.” She also asked for the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill to be passed by Congress. "With (the 2013) elections coming, it gives more reason for passing the FOI bill so accounting of trillion of pesos in next year’s national budget will be available to the public,” Briones said.